2013 was my first attempt at the Cascade Half Marathon. I was injured, the weather was below freezing the entire time, and I STILL had a great time. 2014 saw cold, yet dry, temperatures and I highlighted my recommitment to running in my race recap. 2019 saw a downpour and 2020 was almost 50 degrees and clear.This race has a sort of aura above it that seems to give runners a little extra motivation entering in…
January is the typical month for me pick a half marathon to kick start my training for the new year. I had never run Cascade before. It’s been highly recommended to me by several running friends, so for 2020, it was my first half! 2020 was Cascade’s 21st year. It’s hosted by Willamette Valley Road Runners and offers not only a half, but a 10k and 2 miler. Race day morning (January 19th) I drove…
When you run a winter half marathon you know that a good number of your training miles will be wet. You also know that there is a high probability that race day will be cold, wet, windy, and/or some combination of those elements. With the Cascade Half Marathon in my sights, I began to agonize over whether or not I should run it before I even registered. Despite the fact that I was training for…
I haven’t run the Cascade Half Marathon since 2014, and was happy to reconnect with this great early year winter race this past weekend. The race is an out-and-back on supremely quiet country roads in rural Turner – a small country town just SE of Salem. It’s inexpensive (only $45) and is well-supported for a small-mid sized event. The day kicked off at Cascade High School, and despite the high school parking, it’s not the…
A January day in Oregon is almost always guaranteed to include rain. True to form, race day was dark and rainy. I met my running group at 0-dark-thirty for our annual trip to Cascade Half and 10K. This year we were carpooling in my friend’s new (to him) Sprinter van. As we made the rainy drive south to Turner, we joked about putting signage on the van that said “Shady Oaks Retirement Village Adventure Tours.” Part…
I had plans to start this race off the same way I do all my races: well-hydrated, plenty of rest, carb-loaded, and (of course) coffee. However, life threw me a curve ball this week. My husband had a seizure completely out of the blue, and no…he’s never had one before. He was rushed to the hospital due to other serious symptoms, where I stayed by his side for days. I’m telling you this because the…
NOTE: This race has a price increase on April 1 – read on for details … I can’t wait until my daughter can run a 1k. Because as soon as she’s big enough, we’re going to turn the Cowpie Classic into a family tradition. The Cowpie Classic is a race started in 2010 by two Cascade School District teachers, Rachel Reagan and Angie Smith. It’s a run designed for kids: three distances, separated by age…
The 15th Annual Cascade Half Marathon was not just another half marathon. It was a rebirth of sorts – a recommitment to running in the new year. I made some loft goals for my running life in 2014 which will provide a physical and mental challenge as well as figuring a way to balance family and work (both most important) with my running playtime. This was the first real hurdle.Last year, I had similarly lofty…
